The 49ers will be without 37-year old kicker Joe Nedney this weekend due to a right knee sprain and a bone bruise.  Nedney has played in 9 games for the Niners this year and he has made 11 of 13 field goals (84.6%) and 17 of 17 extra points good for 50 points.  The 49ers have re-signed Shane Andrus who will handle the kicking chores against the Bucs this weekend.  Andrus played in 5 games last season for the Colts, Bucs and Niners in which he missed his only field goal but he was 10 of 10 on extra points.  This could be a problem for the Niners this weekend if they need Andrus to make a clutch field goal.

The 49ers have lost 26-year old starting LT Joe Staley for the next 4-6 weeks due to a fractured left fibula.  Staley has started all 9 games for the Niners this year and he has started all 50 games that he has appeared in with the Niners in his four years with the team.  35-year old Barry Sims will replace Staley at LT until he’s ready to return to action.  Sims played in 1 game (0 starts) for the Niners so far this year.  He has played in 31 games (15 starts) in his first three years with the Niners.  This will be a huge dropoff for the Niners.

The 49ers will be without starting QB Alex Smith for the next 2-3 weeks due to a separated left shoulder which he suffered against the Panthers last Sunday.  Smith has played in all seven games for the Niners this year and he has completed 143 of 242 passes (59.1%) for 1,554 yards with 9 TD passes and 9 INTs (75.0 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 12 times for 43 yards (3.6 ypc) so far this year.  It was thought that David Carr would replace Smith as the starting QB just like he did when he relieved him after he was injured.  Carr completed 5 of 13 (38.5%) passes against the Panthers last week for 67 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT (23.6 QB Rating).  Carr’s interception led to the Panthers’ game winning field goal last week.  26-year old Troy Smith has been named the starting QB for the Niners game this Sunday in London against the Broncos.  Smith has played in 14 games in his NFL career and he has completed 48 of 89 passes (53.9%) for 558 yards with 3 TD passes and 1 INT (79.7 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 29 times for 109 yards (3.8 ypc) with 2 TD grabs.  It will be interesting to see how well the former Heisman Award winner plays for the Niners while Alex Smith is out of action.

The 49ers will be without 25-year old safety Curtis Taylor for at least the next four weeks due to a quad injury.  Taylor played in the first 5 games for the Niners this year and he had 3 tackles.  The 49ers will miss Taylor both in the secondary and on special teams.

UPDATE:  (10/19/2010) – The 49ers have placed Curtis Taylor on the Injured Reserve List with a torn quadriceps muscle so his year is over.

The San Francisco 49ers will be without WR/KR/PR Ted Ginn for a couple of weeks due to a sprained MCL.  Ginn caught 2 passes for 19 yards and he returned 3 kickoffs for 54 yards in the season opener against the Seahawks.  Josh Morgan will replace Ginn as the kickoff returner.  He returned 1 kickoff for 13 yards last Sunday.  Morgan returned 13 kickoffs for 367 yards (28.2 avg) last season so I expect that he will do a good job while Ginn is out of action.  Rookie cornerback Phillip Adams will return punts until Ginn is ready to return.  He had 1 tackle in his NFL debut last Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers lose CB Will James (high ankle sprain) and rookie PR/KR/WR Kyle Williams (sprained big toe) for a while.  James is likely to miss the next 4-6 weeks while Williams is likely out six weeks.  James had 1 tackle and 1 interception against the Colts this weekend and he is expected to have a big role for the Niners this year.  Williams returned 1 punt for 36 yards, 2 kickoff for 42 yards and he caught 1 pass for 8 yards in the pre-season opener.  He was going to have to fight for his roster spot so this injury might have cost him a job with the Niners.

The 49ers have lost 30-year old starting center Eric Heitmann for the next 6-8 weeks after fracturing his left fibula in practice.  This is a big blow to the Niners.  Heitmann started all 16 games for the 49ers last season and he has played in 119 games (114 starts) in his 8 years in the NFL.  Luckily the Niners have some depth on the O-Line as David Baas will battle Tony Wragge for the starting center job until Heitmann is ready to return to action.  Baas started all 16 games at guard for the Niners last season.  He has played in 76 games (38 starts) in his 5 years in the NFL.  Tony Wragge played in 15 games (0 starts) for the 49ers last season.  He has played in 52 games (15 starts) in his six years in the NFL.  My money is on Baas to be the starting center until Heitmann is ready to return to action.

The 49ers have lost 24-year old linebacker Scott McKillop for the season due to a torn ACL.  McKillop played in all 16 games last season as a rookie for the Niners and he had 19 tackles and a fumble recovery on which he scored a TD.  This is a blow to the Niners’ depth at linebacker and more importantly the special teams where McKillop excelled.

The 49ers have signed 24-year old kicker Ricky Schmitt out of tiny Shepherd College and he might have to start this weekend against the Lions if Joe Nedney is not ready to play due to a groin injury.  Nedney has played in all 14 games for the Niners this season and he has made 17 of 21 field goals (81%) and all 33 of his extra points good for 84 points this season.  It will be interesting to see how Schmitt handles his first NFL game if he has to play because the Niners can’t afford to leave points on the football field.

UPDATE:  Nedney is out for the season so Schmitt will continue to kick.  He was 2 for 3 on field goals in his NFL debut last week and he also made both of his extra points as he finished up with 8 points.

The 49ers have lost starting DE Kentwan Balmer for the year due to a torn right labrum.  Balmer played in 11 games last season for the Niners and he made 12 tackles.  He has now played in 27 games in his two years with the Niners and he has made 19 tackles and defensed 1 pass.  The 49ers have signed DE Baraka Atkins to replace Balmer on the roster.  Atkins played in 9 games for the Seahawks last season and he made 18 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss and he had 2 sacks.  He has now played two years in the NFL and he has 29 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 2 sacks.